| Sumario: | This article describes various procedures through which schools ordinarily attempt to support and cherish the richness and variety of individual differences among children. Both the findings of scientific studies and the democratic value of respect for an individual suggest that differences in a group of children should be studied and encouraged. Indeed, a good teacher's work may be described as cherishing differences. The division of a class group into smaller groups for instructional purposes has become a widely accepted practice in recent years, especially in the elementary school. The present-day approach to grouping suggests that it should be kept as flexible as possible and that children should work in a number of different groups during the school day. Grouping in a school or within a class is not usually effective unless it is accompanied by the use of varied materials suited to the needs and interests of the different groups. The use of time in the school day when children can make individual choices about their activities helps provide for the differences found in any group.
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